As CM seeks to assuage Dalit sentiment, Phagwara again on the boil over chowk name
‘General community’ outfit calls for protest today
CM’S announcement, some people from the Dalit community forced a local shopkeeper to down shutters in Bansawala Bazaar. Following this, many other shopkeepers downed shutters and held protest on Banga Road against the police. Members of General Samaj Manch too joined the protest.
“We are cooperating with the local administration and police. But this is now intolerable that a group of people came and forced shopkeepers to shut down their shops without any reason,” said Fateh Singh, a member of the Manch.
Many shopkeepers have announced that they would keep their shops closed until Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) leader Jarnail Nangal and other Dalits booked in the FIR are not arrested by the police. A day after the clash, around 100 people, including 33 by name, were booked under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 295A (hurting religious sentiments), 392 (robbery), 353 (assault), 186, 427, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Arms Act and the National Highways Act.
In the FIR, besides Hindu right-wing leaders, police have included some Dalits including the LIP leader Jarnail Nangal and Ambedkar Sena (Mool Niwasi) president Harbhajan Suman, blaming them for the clash. Four people, including Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) senior state vice-president Inderjit Karwal, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti state president Deepak Bhardwaj, Shiv Sena leader Shivi Batta and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Rajiv Chahal, were arrested.
The local police on Monday had removed seven Dalits’ name, including those of two men injured, from the FIR.